In the field of wiring homes and buildings, whether for new construction or for improvements or expansion, substantial development and product improvements have been made. Typically, these improvements are directed to enabling installers to securely mount any desired wiring to any desired location in the most efficient and quickest manner.
In any particular installation or location, various conduits or cables must be interconnected to each other as well as connected to the primary power supply in a suitable power distributing outlet box, junction box or other enclosure. In each of these instances, flexible metal conduits and/or armored or metal clad cables, within which the electrical power carrying wires are contained, must be securely mounted to the housing of the junction box or outlet box, or connected to appropriate devices, in a protected area.
In order to enable installers to securely mount flexible metal conduits and/or armored or metal clad cables to any desired junction box or outlet box, numerous prior art connectors have been developed. However, in spite of the substantial effort that has been expended in developing such connectors, these prior art systems have drawbacks or difficulties which prevent their universal adoption and use.
In general, the industry has long sought to have a single conduit/cable connector which is quickly and easily secured to any desired junction box or outlet box which enables flexible metal conduits and/or metal clad or armored cables to be securely mounted to the connector with a bend which substantially comprises a right angle. Due to the location or position of the junction box and/or outlet box, flexible metal conduits and/or metal clad or armored cables frequently require right angle bends in order to obtain the optimum securement location for affixing the cable to the outlet box and/or junction box.
Although various prior art constructions have been developed for enabling flexible meal conduits and/or metal clad or armored cables to be mounted to outlet boxes and/or junction boxes with a right angle bend incorporated therewith, these prior art constructions have proven to be extremely difficult to employ due to the configuration and mounting requirements incorporated into these prior art connectors. In general, the prior art connectors incorporate two components, a base member which incorporates a right angular construction, and a cover member which is securable to the base member. Although these constructions function to enable the conduits and/or metal clad or armored cables to be secured in the desired manner, these prior art constructions suffer in their complexity of use.
Most prior art connectors require the user to employ both hands to remove the cover, and then require the user to use both hands to secure the cover in the desired position. Since the installer must also hold the conduit and/or metal clad or armored cable in the desired position for affixation to the connector, use of the connector is extremely difficult and cumbersome. As a result, substantial difficulty is encountered and additional manpower is frequently required.
Therefore, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a connector for use with flexible metal conduits and/or armored or metal clad cables which provides secure, rapid mounted engagement and retention of the conduit and/or cable and connector for mounting of the conduit/cable at right angles with any desired outlet box and/or a junction box.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a connector for use with flexible metal conduits and/or armored or metal clad cables, having the characteristic features described above, which is capable of being employed quickly and easily, securely mounting the flexible metal conduit and/or armored or metal clad cable directly with the connector without difficulty.
Another object to the present invention is to provide a connector for use with flexible metal conduits and/or armored or metal clad cables, having the characteristic features described above, which enables the cover or conduit cable holding portion of the connector to be mounted and securely affixed to the base portion of the connector by a single individual employing a single hand.
Another object of the president is to provide a connector for use with flexible metal conduits and/or armored or metal clad cables, having the characteristic features described above, which incorporates a cover or conduit cable holding portion which is pivotally mounted to the base portion for enabling ease-of-use and securement of the components to each other.
Other and more specific objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.